1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to a method and system for viewing a record of an organization having a hierarchy of departments. More particularly, the present invention provides a method and system for generating a view of the record that includes categorized columns of a hierarchy of departments and an optional identifier.
2. Background Art
As the use of technology in business grows, business organizations are increasingly using computerized methods to track data. One important type of data that is commonly tracked is performance data, which measures the productivity of employees. Once tracked, organizations can analyze the data to improve the efficiency of the business. Tracking such data, however, can be extremely complicated for an organization that includes numerous levels or departments arranged into a hierarchy. Specifically, it is important for the relationship between departments in the hierarchy to be clearly defined so that the effect of one department""s performance on another""s can be determined. It is also important to be able to track performance data for each department in the hierarchy. This can allow the organization to effectively pinpoint problems and determine the performance of each hierarchical level.
To date, many have attempted to provide computerized organizational tables or charts that set forth the entire hierarchy of an organization. These tables can be used in conjunction with data to create a report or the like depicting the performance data for each department in the hierarchy. Typically, the tables include separate fields for each department. However, manipulated and/or editing such tables raises several problems with respect to both the data and the table. Specifically, in today""s business world, departments are constantly being reorganized resulting in changes to the hierarchy. When the hierarchy changes, corresponding changes must be made to the table. Generally, this requires adding or deleting a new field to the table for each department added or eliminated. Moreover, changes to the table require corresponding changes to the agents used to populate the data into a report. Thus, the required changes are complex, time consuming, and costly.
In view of the foregoing, there exists a need for a method and system for viewing a record of an organization having a hierarchy of departments. In addition, a need exists for a method and system to provide a view of the record that has categorized columns of hierarchical levels.
The present invention overcomes the drawbacks of existing systems by providing a method and system for viewing a record of an organization having a hierarchy of departments. Specifically a record having data, a record department label, and an optional identifier will be received. The received record will be compared to an organizational table having an entry for each department. Each entry includes an organizational department label and a list of hierarchical levels to which the particular department belongs. Based upon this comparison, an entry in the table that corresponds to the record department label is identified. The list of hierarchical levels from the identified entry is then added to the record. Once added, a view of the record is generated that includes categorized columns of the added list of hierarchal departments and the optional identifier.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a method for viewing a record of an organization having a hierarchy of departments is provided. The method comprises the steps of: (1) receiving a record having a record department label; (2) comparing the record to an organizational table to identify an entry in the organizational table having an organizational department label that matches the record department label; (3) adding a list of hierarchical levels from the identified entry to the record; and (4) generating a view of the record, wherein the view has categorized columns of the added list of hierarchical levels.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a method for viewing a record of an organization having a hierarchy of departments is provided. The method comprises the steps of: (1) providing an organizational table having an entry for each of the departments, wherein each entry comprises an organizational department label and a list of hierarchical levels; (2) providing a record having a record department label; (3) adding the list of hierarchical levels from an entry in the table corresponding to the record department label to the record; and (4) generating a view of the record, wherein the view includes categorized columns of the added list of hierarchical levels.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, a method for viewing a record of an organization having a hierarchy of departments is provided. The method comprises the steps of: (1) providing an organizational table having an entry for each of the departments, wherein each entry comprises an organizational department label and a list of hierarchical levels; (2) providing a record having an identifier and a record department label; (3) adding the list of hierarchical levels from an entry in the table corresponding to the record department label to the record; and (4) generating a view of the record, wherein the view includes categorized columns of the added list of hierarchical levels and the identifier.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a method for viewing a record of an organization having a hierarchy of departments is provided. The method comprises the steps of: (1) providing an organizational table having an entry for each of the departments, wherein each entry comprises an organizational department label and a list of hierarchical levels; (2) providing a record having an identifier and a record department label; (3) identifying an entry in the organizational table having an organizational department label that corresponds the record department label; (4) adding the list of hierarchical levels from the identified entry to the record; and (5) generating a view of the record, wherein the view includes categorized columns of the added list of hierarchical levels and the identifier.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a system for viewing a record of an organization having a hierarchy of departments is provided. The system comprises: (1) a record system for receiving a record, wherein the record includes a record department label; (2) a cross-reference system for identifying an entry in an organizational table that corresponds to the record department label, and for adding a list of hierarchical levels from the identified entry to the record; and (3) a view system for generating a view of the record, wherein the view includes categorized columns of the added list of hierarchical levels.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, a system for viewing a record of an organization having a hierarchy of departments is provided. The system comprises: (1) a record system for receiving a record, wherein the record includes a record department label; (2) a cross-reference system for identifying an entry in an organizational table having an organizational department label that matches the record department label, and for adding a list of hierarchical levels from the identified entry to the record; and (3) a view system for generating a view of the record, wherein the view includes categorized columns of the added list of hierarchical levels.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, a system for viewing a record of an organization having a hierarchy of departments is provided. The system comprises: (1) a record having a record department label and data; (2) an organizational table having an entry for each department, wherein each entry includes an organizational department label and a list of hierarchical levels; (3) a cross-reference system for identifying an entry in the organizational table having an organizational department label that matches the record department label, and for adding the list of hierarchical levels from the identified entry to the record; and (4) a view system for generating a view of the record, wherein the view includes categorized columns of the added list of hierarchical levels.
According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, a program product stored on a recordable medium for viewing a record of an organization having a hierarchy of departments. When executed, the program product comprises: (1) a record system for receiving a record, wherein the record includes a record department label; (2) a cross-reference system for identifying an entry in an organizational table that corresponds to the record department label, and for adding a list of hierarchical levels from the identified entry to the record; and (3) a view system for generating a view of the record, wherein the view includes categorized columns of the added list of hierarchical levels.
According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, a program product stored on a recordable medium for viewing a record of an organization having a hierarchy of departments. When executed, the program product comprises: (1) program code configured to receive a record, wherein the record includes a record department label; (2) program code configured to identify an entry in an organizational table that corresponds to the record department label, and for adding a list of hierarchical levels from the identified entry to the record; and (3) program code configured to generate a view of the record, wherein the view includes categorized columns of the added list of hierarchical levels.
Therefore, the present invention provides a method and system for viewing a record of an organization having a hierarchy of departments.